Tracy Ftacek - From Trailer Park to Successful Entrepreneur

Tracy Ftacek is a successful entrepreneur who grew up in a trailer park. She’s a living example of resiliency and creativity in business.

Tracy Ftacek is the Founder/Owner of the Pretty Convenient Salon, one of Chicago’s preeminent hair/makeup studios. As a Paul Mitchell National Educator, Tracy has traveled the globe teaching innovative hair and makeup workshops and sharing her best practices for salon ownership. Tracy is also the founder of The Pretty Convenient App, an on-demand beauty app where her all-female team, of some of the industry’s top professionals, deliver a convenient and stunning beauty experience to your home. But…Tracy wasn’t always a superstar business owner. We spoke on the podcast about resiliency, and how she went from living in a trailer park to the successful entrepreneur she is today.

In this episode of the Woman of Value Podcast:

How Tracy went from trailer park to successful entrepreneur
Why in spite of growing up without money, Tracy never felt poor
The most important qualities in being successful in business
What happened to Tracy’s beauty salon business during the Pandemic
The many streams of income Tracy created
Cool apps she built that are changing the beauty industry

S3 EP 9: Tracy Ftacek – From Trailer Park to Successful Entrepreneur

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Video

WHAT DOES WOMAN OF VALUE MEAN TO YOU?

Someone that leaves the room better than when they came into the room.

YOUR ‘AHA’ WOMAN OF VALUE MOMENT

I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, raised by a single mom in a trailer park. I watched her struggles raising two kids. We were broke, but I never felt poor, because I had a great family and friends who believed in me.

After I got married, my husband worked for a large corporation, and every five years, we’d move. I had to keep reinventing myself and my business. Through those moves, I realized I do have value, and it’s not dependent on where I came from or where I live. I developed empathy for others, and I had the creative ability to create new products.

THE PRESENT

About six years ago, I had a company-wide walkout. I had been very successful in the beauty industry, but the walkout made me take a step back and think about what I really want. That’s when I started The Pretty Convenient App.

I created the brand Pretty Convenient for those who want multiple streams of income in the beauty industry. It’s an all female company. I find them clientele, and I pay them and keep a small portion of it.

During the pandemic, I launched Pretty Set Go, a subscription box, teaching people how to style their hair and learn skin care and makeup techniques. We ship them products, and then they schedule a live service beauty tutorial. That’s how we stayed alive during the pandemic.

THE FUTURE

Pretty Convenient App is expanding. Pretty Set Go is also expanding, and I’d love to go international. Personally, I can work anywhere, so I’m looking forward to traveling more.

THE LIGHTNING ROUND

I used to think I wasn’t powerful enough.
What was the #1 thing holding you back from becoming a woman
of value? The story I told myself, that I was the cute blond girl who was supposed to be funny and entertaining. My husband told me I was one of the smartest people he knew!
What’s the best advice you can give to a woman who wants to
become more empowered? Get quiet with yourself. Look inside at your strengths. Survey the people you trust the most and see what the strengths are that they see in you.
What advice would you give to your younger self? Start early. I waited so long to really harness my abilities. Don’t wait for permission.
What’s something people get wrong about you? People often think I’m from a European or have an accent or I’m a hard person who has it all figured out.
How would you like to be remembered? As a woman who is considered intelligent. I took that intelligence and gave it away. And I left the world better than I found it!